Unschooling…

I am no where near “school age” with Judah but I have already begun to think about the topic. Something about public education doesn’t sit right with me for many reasons and I was never fond of public school myself, so I have already been pondering the alternatives. Private Schools. Charter Schools. Homeschooling. Unschooling???

Unschooling is a relatively new term to me and I am in no way an expert nor do I have much experience with it. But as I have been researching the concept, it is has peaked quite an interest in me. Unschooling, also known as natural learning or life learning, is a concept of learning that nurtures a child’s innate curiosity and drive to discover. Parent’s guide their children and help to facilitate further discovery of the interests of their children. There is no set way to unschool.

In essence, I am already unschooling Judah. Everyday he is naturally learning and I am coming along side and helping to nurture what interest him. Babies and children are natural learners and when learning is approached as something natural and freely occurring, the love of discovery will never end. Kids just grow into adults who never stop learning.

Recently, Good Morning America did a segment on unschooling, which I was not crazy about, but caused quite a stir. The link is here. And the follow up interview is here.

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I just had a great discussion with a friend on this one. We’re in the middle of each, traditional homeschooling and unschooling. Our children and most are, naturally curious and do learn great by everyday things. We are already seeing this first hand with a baby and with a four year old. But we also see the importance of teaching the classic subjects to help them succeed in life. Both areas are just as important to us.
Right now we are going at Oscar’s pace and we plan on keeping it that way for now. Some days we do “school” and some days we don’t. Some times we even go weeks without picking up a book. Yet, I feel like Oscar is ready for a traditional kindergarten classroom in the Fall if necessary. We try to watch our children and learn their interests and help teach them through those outlets where we naturally learn more easily.
I have found it super important to not force school time on Oscar. If he’s not interested, he’s not going to retain it and I am just going to get frustrated for him messing up and not paying attention.
I can see how the family on GMA could seem a little “radical”. How they explained themselves in the segment is defiently not the route best for us. I don’t think its wise for our children’s future. (hope I didn’t babble too much and that this makes some sense).